Nominee slammed over US green card

FRESH CONTROVERSY:DPP and KMT lawmakers said Chen Be-yue’s US permanent residency makes her entirely unsuitable as a nominee to the Council of Grand Justices

By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Vincent Y. Chao / Staff Reporters

“The type of president we have defines the type of judge he nominates. Under his values, he thinks nothing of the fact that [Chen Be-yue] once held a US green card,” DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said. “She’s unsuitable as a nominee.”

Standing by its nomination of Chen however, the Presidential Office yesterday argued that Chen had given up her US permanent residency.

Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) quoted Ma as saying that the nomination of Chen was a “proper decision” because she had given up her US residency and did not cover up the truth.

Another grand justice ­nominee, Lo Chang-fa (羅昌發), who was also reported by media yesterday as having held permanent residency from Canada, also gave up the residency before the nomination, Lo said.

NO VIOLATION

“Both nominees did not violate any laws and clearly stated the situation in the nomination reference … It’s not fair to accuse her of having moral flaws,” he said.

The nomination task force gave great reviews of Chen and the other three nominees and the president hoped the public would focus on the overall performance of the nominees, Lo added.

Under Taiwan’s judicial system, grand justices are authorized to interpret the Constitution and unify the interpretation of laws and ordinances.